This invention relates generally to amusement devices for children, and more particularly to dolls and other figurines used by children for amusement purposes.
Small children, e.g., children that are 2-3 years old, often find great enjoyment in simple amusements. For example, a child may enjoy making a xe2x80x9cscary facexe2x80x9d to provoke a mock fear reaction from his or her parents, other cooperative adults, and sophisticated children. One way that a child can make a scary faces is to place his two forefingers in the corners of his mouth, and then widen his mouth by pulling with his fingers. When performed in the audience of a cooperative adult, e.g., a parent or grandparent, or another child, this will hopefully provide the mock fear response in the viewer, to the hilarious amusement of the child performing the xe2x80x9cscary face.xe2x80x9d
While the making of xe2x80x9cscary facesxe2x80x9d can be an amusing pastime for the child, the adults involved often quickly tire of the game. It would therefore be desirable to provide a method and apparatus for extending the amusement aspects of this activity for both the child and the adult participants.
The present invention provides an amusement toy and a method for providing an amusement for small children. The device and method adds complexity to the game of xe2x80x9cscary facexe2x80x9d, thereby allowing the child""s imagination to enrich the game and prolong his or her interest in the game.
Briefly, an amusement toy of the present invention includes a toy head and an elastically deformable mouth associated with the head. The head provides, at least in part, a facial image such as eyes and a nose. The mouth is capable of being deformed by the child at least 20%, preferably 50%, and most preferably at least a 100% more than the undeformed width of the mouth. The deformation of the mouth alters the facial image of the face, so as to provide a xe2x80x9cscary face.xe2x80x9d After the mouth is released by the child, the mouth elastically returns to its original, undeformed configuration.
A first embodiment of the present invention forms the head from an elastically deformable material. The mouth is an aperture provided through the deformable material of the head and, therefore, the mouth in this embodiment is one of the features comprising the xe2x80x9cfacial imagexe2x80x9d of the head. In the absence of a force, the mouth is preferably substantially round. As the mouth is widened by a pulling action of the forefingers of the child, the facial image is altered for the desired xe2x80x9cscary facexe2x80x9d result. Preferably, other features of the head, such as the eyes and eyebrows, are also altered to enhance the xe2x80x9cscary facexe2x80x9d effect.
A second embodiment of the present invention provides a head that is a substantially continuous, rigid support structure, where the mouth is a rubber band attached to the head. The rubber band can be stretched to elongate the mouth and thereby provide the xe2x80x9cscary facexe2x80x9d of the present invention.
A method for providing an amusement in accordance with the present invention includes the steps of providing a toy head displaying at least a partial facial image, applying a force to a mouth associated with the head to deform the mouth from an undeformed width to a deformed width that is at least 20% greater than the undeformed width to alter the facial image of the face to become a xe2x80x9cscary face.xe2x80x9d After the xe2x80x9cscary facexe2x80x9d is made, the force is removed from the mouth, and the mouth returns to substantially its undeformed width. Preferably, the force which deforms the mouth is applied by hand, e.g., by two fingers of the child pulling at the corners of the mouth of the toy.
An advantage of the present invention is that a doll or figurine is provided that can make a xe2x80x9cscary facexe2x80x9d to the delight of the child. The child can observe the results of his or her manipulation of the doll or figurine, and can observe the reactions of others. The amusement toy can also by used as a general-purpose plaything along with other dolls, figurines, and action toys of the child""s toy collection.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed descriptions and studying the various figures of the drawings.